Comstock Metals Completes All Permits for First of Its Kind Recycling Facility
Rhea-AI Summary
Comstock (NYSE: LODE) received final regulatory approvals to fully permit its industry-scale solar panel recycling facility in Silver Springs, Nevada, including a Written Determination Permit from NDEP-BSMM and an Air Quality control permit on Jan 5, 2026.
The facility is designed to process >3 million panels per year (up to 100,000 tons annually) from a single continuous production line; major equipment was delivered in Q4 2025 and commissioning is scheduled for Q1 2026.
Positive
- Final permits secured: Written Determination and Air Quality approvals
- Facility capacity: >3 million panels/year (~100,000 tons)
- Major equipment deliveries completed in Q4 2025
- Targeted commissioning window: Q1 2026
- Zero-landfill certified North American recycling solution
Negative
- None.
News Market Reaction
On the day this news was published, LODE gained 2.19%, reflecting a moderate positive market reaction. Our momentum scanner triggered 3 alerts that day, indicating moderate trading interest and price volatility. This price movement added approximately $4M to the company's valuation, bringing the market cap to $199M at that time.
Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.
Key Figures
Market Reality Check
Peers on Argus
LODE fell 7.81% while peers were mixed: PLL -9.6%, LGO -5.22%, PLG -0.79%, USGO -0.53%, and VOXR rose 0.88%, pointing to a stock-specific move.
Historical Context
| Date | Event | Sentiment | Move | Catalyst |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 07 | Permit approval | Positive | +3.7% | Final air quality permit for Silver Springs recycling facility. |
| Dec 09 | Recognition award | Positive | +3.5% | Regional recognition for growth and innovation in solar recycling. |
| Dec 08 | Acquisition deal | Positive | -6.5% | Bioleum acquisition of Hexas Biomass for about $6.5M. |
| Dec 03 | IP acquisition | Positive | +1.5% | Bioleum purchase of RenFuel patents and IP for $18.1M. |
| Nov 24 | Permit eligibility | Positive | -3.3% | Eligibility notifications for air quality and written determination permits. |
Recent positive operational news often led to mixed reactions, with some growth acquisitions sold off.
Over the last few months, Comstock advanced permitting and recognition for its solar panel recycling platform. On Nov 24, 2025, it reported eligibility for key permits, followed by final air quality approval on Jan 7, 2026. The company also announced Bioleum’s acquisitions of Hexas Biomass and RenFuel’s IP, plus regional economic development recognition in Dec 2025. Today’s full permitting milestone continues the Q1 2026 commissioning trajectory described in earlier updates.
Regulatory & Risk Context
An effective S-3 shelf filed on Nov 21, 2025 allows Comstock to offer up to $200,000,000 in various securities, including up to $100,000,000 of common stock via an at-the-market program under the same shelf, supporting funding for Comstock Metals facilities and acquisitions.
Market Pulse Summary
This announcement confirms full permitting for Comstock’s Silver Springs recycling facility, keeping plans to commission in Q1 2026 intact with design capacity above 3 million panels and 100,000 tons of waste per year. It builds on prior eligibility and air-quality approvals detailed in recent releases. Investors may watch execution milestones, utilization ramp of this first-of-its-kind line, and any additional use of the existing $200,000,000 shelf and $100,000,000 ATM program.
Key Terms
photovoltaics technical
AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.
VIRGINIA CITY, Nev., Jan. 09, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Comstock Inc. (NYSE: LODE) (“Comstock” and the “Company”) and Comstock Metals LLC (“Comstock Metals”), a leader in the responsible recycling of end-of-life solar panels with the only certified, North American, zero-landfill solution, announced today that it has received its Written Determination Permit from the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection – Bureau of Sustainable Materials Management (NDEP-BSMM), for the processing of waste solar panels and photovoltaics for its industry-scale materials recovery facility located in Silver Springs, NV. This timely and final required approval results in a fully permitted operation and facility and keeps our scale up plans for commissioning this industry-first, large scale processing facility in Silver Springs, NV, right on schedule.
On January 5, 2026, Comstock Metals received a similar notification of approval for the associated Air Quality control permit. These last two permits, represent the complete scope of required regulatory approvals for commissioning the scale up of a facility designed for processing more than 3 million panels per year from one, continuous production line, representing up to 100,000 tons per year of waste materials being processed. This facility integrates technologies for efficiently crushing, conditioning, extracting, and recycling metal concentrates from photovoltaics. The Company previously ordered all of the equipment and received deliveries during Q4 2025 and remains on schedule for receiving the rest of the equipment, installing, testing, and commissioning this first of its kind industry-scale facility during the first quarter of 2026.
“We appreciate BSMM’s collaborative engagement in issuing the first industry-scale Written Determination permit for solar panel recycling, a key regulatory milestone that enables Nevada’s only zero-landfill, high-volume, end-of-life solar panel recycling solution serving the broader region,” said Dr. Fortunato Villamagna, President of Comstock Metals. “This authorization aligns with our original permitting timeline and reflects the effectiveness of our regulatory strategy, the strength of our relationships with regulators, and the successful execution of a complex, first-of-its-kind permitting process.”
Many of the U.S. solar panels have been deployed in the southwestern U.S., primarily California, Arizona, and Nevada, with decommissioning of these solar panels occurring now, accelerating supply and increasing the demand for environmentally responsible end-of-life solutions. Comstock has positioned itself to ensure the safe deconstruction and productive reuse of these important materials. Establishing our platform in Nevada establishes the leading solar recycling position over more than half the U.S. market for end-of-life panels and establishes a platform for rapid expansion across the rest of the United States.
“Comstock Metals is setting the global standard in solar panel recycling by creating a scalable, reliable, efficient, and optimized network of decommissioning, collecting, aggregating, storing and full-recovery processing (and ultimately refining) nodes designed and built for speed and scale,” said Corrado De Gasperis, Executive Chairman and CEO of Comstock. “Most of the industry is still getting their heads around the magnitude of inevitable end of life panel dilemma, measured in the billions of panels, while we deploy and deliver a full end of life solution.”
About Comstock Inc.
Comstock Inc. (NYSE: LODE) innovates and commercializes technologies, systems and supply chains that enable, support and sustain clean energy systems by efficiently, effectively, and expediently extracting and converting under-utilized natural resources into reusable metals, like silver, aluminum, gold, and other critical minerals, primarily from end-of-life photovoltaics. To learn more, please visit www.comstock.inc.
Comstock Social Media Policy
Comstock Inc. has used, and intends to continue using, its investor relations link and main website at www.comstock.inc in addition to its X.com, LinkedIn and YouTube accounts, as means of disclosing material non-public information and for complying with its disclosure obligations under Regulation FD.
Contacts
For investor inquiries:
Judd B. Merrill, Chief Financial Officer
Tel (775) 413-6222
ir@comstockinc.com
For media inquiries:
Zach Spencer, Director of External Relations
Tel (775) 847-7573
media@comstockinc.com
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release and any related calls or discussions may include forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, are forward-looking statements. The words “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “project,” “plan,” “should,” “intend,” “may,” “will,” “would,” “potential” and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements but are not the exclusive means of doing so. Forward-looking statements include statements about matters such as: future market conditions; future explorations or acquisitions; divestitures, spin-offs or similar distribution transactions, future changes in our research, development and exploration activities; future financial, natural, and social gains; future prices and sales of, and demand for, our products and services; land entitlements and uses; permits; production capacity and operations; operating and overhead costs; future capital expenditures and their impact on us; operational and management changes (including changes in the Board of Directors); changes in business strategies, planning and tactics; future employment and contributions of personnel, including consultants; future land and asset sales; investments, acquisitions, divestitures, spin-offs or similar distribution transactions, joint ventures, strategic alliances, business combinations, operational, tax, financial and restructuring initiatives, including the nature, timing and accounting for restructuring charges, derivative assets and liabilities and the impact thereof; contingencies; litigation, administrative or arbitration proceedings; environmental compliance and changes in the regulatory environment; offerings, limitations on sales or offering of equity or debt securities, including asset sales and associated costs; business opportunities, growth rates, future working capital, needs, revenues, variable costs, throughput rates, operating expenses, debt levels, cash flows, margins, taxes and earnings. These statements are based on assumptions and assessments made by our management in light of their experience and their perception of historical and current trends, current conditions, possible future developments and other factors they believe to be appropriate. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees, representations or warranties and are subject to risks and uncertainties, many of which are unforeseeable and beyond our control and could cause actual results, developments, and business decisions to differ materially from those contemplated by such forward-looking statements. Some of those risks and uncertainties include the risk factors set forth in our filings with the SEC and the following: adverse effects of climate changes or natural disasters; adverse effects of global or regional pandemic disease spread or other crises; global economic and capital market uncertainties; the speculative nature of gold or mineral exploration, and lithium, nickel and cobalt recycling, including risks of diminishing quantities or grades of qualified resources; operational or technical difficulties in connection with exploration, metal recycling, processing or mining activities; costs, hazards and uncertainties associated with precious and other metal based activities, including environmentally friendly and economically enhancing clean mining and processing technologies, precious metal exploration, resource development, economic feasibility assessment and cash generating mineral production; costs, hazards and uncertainties associated with metal recycling, processing or mining activities; contests over our title to properties; potential dilution to our stockholders from our stock issuances, recapitalization and balance sheet restructuring activities; potential inability to comply with applicable government regulations or law; adoption of or changes in legislation or regulations adversely affecting our businesses; permitting constraints or delays; challenges to, or potential inability to, achieve the benefits of business opportunities that may be presented to, or pursued by, us, including those involving battery technology and efficacy, quantum computing and generative artificial intelligence supported advanced materials development, development of cellulosic technology in bio-fuels and related material production; commercialization of cellulosic technology in bio-fuels and generative artificial intelligence development services; ability to successfully identify, finance, complete and integrate acquisitions, spin-offs or similar distribution transactions, joint ventures, strategic alliances, business combinations, asset sales, and investments that we may be party to in the future; changes in the United States or other monetary or fiscal policies or regulations; interruptions in our production capabilities due to capital constraints; equipment failures; fluctuation of prices for gold or certain other commodities (such as silver, zinc, lithium, nickel, cobalt, cyanide, water, diesel, gasoline and alternative fuels and electricity); changes in generally accepted accounting principles; adverse effects of war, mass shooting, terrorism and geopolitical events; potential inability to implement our business strategies; potential inability to grow revenues; potential inability to attract and retain key personnel; interruptions in delivery of critical supplies, equipment and raw materials due to credit or other limitations imposed by vendors; assertion of claims, lawsuits and proceedings against us; potential inability to satisfy debt and lease obligations; potential inability to maintain an effective system of internal controls over financial reporting; potential inability or failure to timely file periodic reports with the Securities and Exchange Commission; potential inability to list our securities on any securities exchange or market or maintain the listing of our securities; and work stoppages or other labor difficulties. Occurrence of such events or circumstances could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations or cash flows, or the market price of our securities. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements by or attributable to us or persons acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by these factors. Except as may be required by securities or other law, we undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Neither this press release nor any related calls or discussions constitutes an offer to sell, the solicitation of an offer to buy or a recommendation with respect to any securities of the Company, the fund, or any other issuer.
FAQ
What permits did Comstock (LODE) secure for the Silver Springs recycling facility and when?
What is the planned processing capacity of Comstock Metals' Silver Springs facility (LODE)?
When does Comstock (LODE) expect to commission the Silver Springs facility?
Has Comstock (LODE) received its equipment for the recycling facility?
What makes Comstock Metals' recycling facility notable for investors following LODE?
